Jan. 17, 1985: Please Hold

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Jan. 17, 1985: Please Hold

1985: Britain's famous red telephone boxes are officially retired by British Telecom, to become another victim of encroaching technology and corporate expediency.

Retired does not mean completely gone, however. Although their numbers have dwindled over the years, there are still plenty of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's iconic telephone boxes kicking around Old Blighty. And they're still the phone box of choice on the island of Malta.

Scott's design was chosen in a 1924 competition and, although Scott himself originally recommended painting the boxes silver, the Post Office – which ran Britain's phone service at the time – chose red because it would make the booths easier to see.

Following privatization, the service switched to British Telecom and the design of phone boxes became more utilitarian. Many of the red boxes were replaced but a public outcry managed to preserve a fair number. Some of those in use today have been converted to internet kiosks.